Absorption refrigeration



Prams May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.04m. ABSORPTIONREFRIGERATION Glenn I. Zemmefer, Bloomington, '11].

No Drawing.

Application April 18, 1935, Serial NO. 17,083

' a refrigerant material adapted to have a liquid and avapor phase inthe cycles of operation, adapted to be dissolved or absorbed in thesolvent, adapted to be evaporated or boiled as a vapor from the solventmixture and from the solvent,

and adapted tobe condensed from the vapor to a liquid. Numerousrefrigerants and numerous solvents are known, as well as successfulcombinations 'of these.

The two-fluid absorption machines have certain mechanical parts whichmay be omitted orwhich are not duplicated in three-fluid machines. In athree-fluid machine, there is in addition to the two-fluid mixture, abody of inert gas which is always gas, and which does notvto anysubstantial extent dissolve in any of the components of the two-fluidcomposition, or in mixtures thereof.

The present invention is directed to a new solvent for absorptionrefrigeration, and to combinations thereof with refrigerants.

A particular object of the invention is the use of tictraethylene glycoldimethyl ether as a solven .Anotherobject is the use of a combination ofsaid solvent with the refrigerant dichloromono fluoromethane.

Examples of the two-fluid apparatus in which the new solvent materialand thenew combinationmaybe used is disclosed in my co-pendingapplication Ser. No. 651,306, filed January 12, 1933, or in my U. S.Patent No. 1,895,698, issued January 31, 1933. -Other examples mayreadily be cited, and will be known to those skilled in the art.

, .I'he two-fluidbriefly described, comprises astill inwhich a liquidmixture of solvent and refrigerant is heated to distill away as a vaporthe refrigerant material, a condenser wherein said vapor is'condensed toa liquid state, an evaporator wherein the resulting liquid is vaporizedat reduced pres-. sure to produce refrigeration, and an absorber inwhich vapor of the refrigerant material containing added heat units(acquired in the refrigerating process) is again dissolved in thesolvent material. Suitable heat exchanging and circulating means areincluded, and automatic controls may be provided.

apparatus above referred ,tol

The particular characteristics of such a machine are that the stilloperates at temperatures well above normal temperatures, such forexample .at 210 F. to 250 F.; and that the cooling unit operates attemperatures lower than normal, 6 such as from 15 F. to 50 1". Variousparts of the apparatus diiler in the prevailing temperatures andpressures, and both pressure and temperaturedetermine the physical stateof the free refrigerant material, whether gaseous or liquid, and lodetermine the solubility relations between the refrigerant and thesolvent material. It is, there fore, very important that vthe solventand the refrigerant materials 'be physically adapted for use asindividual materials in certain places and 15 for certain functions, andthat-they be mutually adapted for certain functions when they are incombination. Other qualities not essential to refrigeration, butpertinent to practical usage,

control or limit the choice of solvent or refriger- 20 ant, such asodor, viscosity, heat capacity, boiling point, freezing point,volatility, chemical stability, reactivity, corrosive action,inflammability, toxicity, etc.

By considering the limitations herein set forth 25 In the accompanyingclaims the invention is set forth as. a combination useful in absorptionrefrigeration. It is to be understood that a simple adulteration of thenew solvent in its pure form,

" either by reason of commercial impurities, or by addition of lesserquantities of other material, useful also as solvent, is permitted, andsuch a composition is intended to fall within the'scope .of the presentinvention.

The solvent herein specifically claimed is covered gene'rically'inapplicants co-pending application Serial No. 17,064, flled' April18,1935.

What I claim is'." 5

1. a-refrigerant mixture for the absorption 5 type of refrigerationapparatus consisting of tetraethylene glycol dimethyl other as theessentially predominant solvent, and dichloromonofiuoromethane as therefrigerant.

2. A refrigerant mixture for the absorption type of refrigerationapparatus consisting of tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether as theessentially predominant solvent, a volatile chemically stablehalogenated hydrocarbon refrigerant soluble in said solvent.

GLENN F. zmm omm.

